BLOCKED_3_FINAL

ISSUE 3 

Where’s The 

Knitting!? 

See Inside! 

How Knitting Can 

SAVE LIVES 

#Welcomebabysocks 

Confessions of a 

Knitting Wasp 

Fleece to Yarn 

The Process 

Lazy Knitter’s guide to 

Yarn Snobbery

Editor 

Neil of Uknitted Kingdom 

For all enquiries: 

blockedmagazine@gmx.com 

Cover Illustration 

© 2022 Uknitted Kingdom 

Illustrations 

Abby D 


Articles 

Anna Knitter 

Marigold White 

Maree Buske of Skeinz 

The Laziest Knitter 


Erin W 

Patterns 

Anna Knitter 

Cheryl Beckerich 

AndreSueKnits 

Liz Clothier 

Little Ragamuffin 


Birdie Beanie 

Sophy0075 

Proofreading 

Cezanne Pellett 

Paul C 

BS. Studio 

Unless otherwise indicated the information, 

articles, artwork, patterns and photography 

published in BLOCKED Magazine are subject 

to copyright ©2022 BLOCKED Magazine. 

All rights reserved. 

BLOCKED Magazine permits the online 

distribution of the magazine in it’s entirety. 

Distribution of any of the contents of this 

magazine are for purposes of sale or resale 

is strictly prohibited.

January 2022 

Dear ‘Knitfluencers’, 

? 

Much harm has befallen the knitting/crochet/fibre world in the last five or six years. From 

the mass-labelling of good, decent people as racist ‘white supremacists’ and the destruction 

of individuals’ lives, to the constant policing of our words and our products/projects. 

Many of you have stood by, quietly, supported, or in some cases, even joined in or led, 

with the bullying and nastiness. This is no longer tolerable. 

In the name of protecting the self-declared ‘marginalized’ you have directly or indirectly 

marginalized thousands of others. The fate of some of the targets of harassment, hatred, 

threats, and ostracization has been far, far more harmful than any of the imagined ’microaggressions’ 

described by their attackers. 

Fighting racism with racism is not acceptable. 

Fighting fascism with fascism is not acceptable. 

Fighting white supremacy with black supremacy is not acceptable. 

Fighting patriarchy with matriarchy is not acceptable. 

Fighting toxic masculinity with toxic femininity is not acceptable. 

Our plea to you is to ’stand in the gap’ between the oppressors and the oppressed. Use 

your considerable influence to unite rather than divide people. One word from you could 

have helped Kristy Glass, Nathan Taylor, Kate Davies, Maria Tusken, and all the others that 

you watched be figuratively burned as witches. 

As with all the witch-hunts of the past; history does not remember the witchfinders fondly. 

You may think that buying gifts for the bullies will gain you favour for now. You may think 

that constantly acknowledging their presence in your live broadcasts will protect you. Enjoy 

your precarious privilege, earned from the pain of others, while you still can. Someday, soon, 

you will be cancelled by those you fete. You are only ever one poorly chosen word or one 

inadvertent microaggression away from destruction; subject to the whims of your ’friends’. 

When that happens we will be here for you, but it won’t be easy. Many will remember that 

you were collaborators as they searched the virtual village looking for transgressors. 

Before it’s too late, stand up. Speak out. Do the work. Do better. Use your influence for 

good in the name of good, not for evil masquerading as good. 

Appeasing the few at the expense of the many has never been a wise action. 

Do the right thing. 

Yours faithfully, 

The blocked and the cancelled. 

3

#WelcomeBabySocks 

How knitting can save lives 

by Anna Knitter 

A knitting project of the pro-life organization Die 

Aktion Lebensrecht für Alle (The right to life campaign 

for everyone {ALfA e.V.}) in Germany. AlfA e.V. is helping 

pregnant women in crisis and offering them alternatives 

to abortion. With 11,000 members, AlfA e.V. is the 

biggest pro-life organization in Germany. They provide 

pregnant women with everything they need from help at 

home in their everyday lives with a child to financial and 

emotional support. 

There isn’t anything cuter than baby garments, 

especially tiny wee baby socks. They fit in the palm of 

your hand and keep tiny wee baby feet cozy and warm. 

But the baby socks we knit at the “ALfA” also have 

another purpose to them. The pregnant women in need 

we meet and help are experiencing very rough times 

and it isn’t an easy decision for them to keep their 

babies. Some of these women never considered 

abortion but felt as if they were drowning in sorrows 

about their future. We however are convinced that in 

the midst of all their troubles, they deserve some 

moments of happy anticipation. We want to help each 

woman look forward to her baby and encourage her to 

see her pregnancy not only as a challenge but also as 

a wonderful gift. 

My colleagues know that I love to knit, and barely 

put my knitting down for anything else in my spare time. 

Therefore, it came as no surprise that one day, a 

colleague called and asked me, “You really like to knit, 

right? And you know how to knit socks, don’t you?” I 

knew immediately something fun was waiting for me! 

She told me that she used to gift tiny baby socks to 

women in crisis pregnancies to cheer them up and help 

them to realize what the crisis is really about. It is not 

about the boyfriend who left her alone, or an unsuitable 

flat, or an angry boss. Each woman’s pregnancy is about 

a tiny little baby with tiny little feet, which will fit into 

these tiny little socks. 

baby garments in their hands. All of a sudden things 

are becoming real. “I am going to have a baby!” Even 

women who have planned their pregnancies are often 

blown away when they hold their first romper. Until then, 

pregnancy is very clinical. Pregnancy tests, blood tests, 

ultrasounds, doctors, papers, embryos, and fetuses. 

But these socks aren’t for a fetus or the “Rorschach test 

images” of the first ultrasounds, these socks are for a 

real baby. A human being. 

My colleague’s idea was to gather and motivate 

some people to knit these socks, because handmade is 

so much nicer than store-bought, and I promised to take 

care of the project. Right after I hung up the phone I 

wrote a baby socks pattern. A few days later I produced 

a German knitting tutorial on YouTube and wrote an 

article for our website. That was in November 2020, 

since then, we have received more than 1,000 pairs 

of #welcomebabysocks from all over the world. 

That’s what we call them because often we are the 

first to welcome the coming baby with open arms 

and open hearts. 

Just let that sink in. Complete strangers knitting 

socks for babies that often aren’t even wanted by 

their own fathers. I find that very touching. But more 

importantly, it touches these women who are so happy 

to receive such a meaningful gift, often to the point of 

tears. 

There are so many medical examinations during 

pregnancy. You can actually see your baby not only via 

ultrasound pictures but also in 3D videos nowadays. 

Despite all that, many women only start to realize that 

they are having a baby when they hold their first set of 

4 

Yarn Snobbery Continued on page 5

#WELCOMEBABYSOCKS – PATTERN 

This is a project of a pro-life organization in Germany called Aktion Lebensrecht für Alle e.V. (translated: A right to live 

for everyone.) This pattern is written for knitting with DPNs cuff down and with a heel flap and gusset. We knit the cuff 

and leg in the same pattern to provide a well fitting sock that actually stays on the baby’s leg. 

CUFF 

Cast on 32 stitches 

*knit 2,purl 2* for 7cm/2,75inch 

GAUGE 

Needle Size: 2.5mm (US 1.5, UK 12) 

Tension: 30 stitches x 42 rows to 10cm/4" 

HEEL 

Heel Flap: 

Row 1: knit 16, turn work 

Row 2: slip 1, purl 15, turn work 

Row 3: slip 1, knit 15, turn work 

Row 4: slip 1, purl 15, turn work 

Repeat row 3 and 4 five times. 

Then you have knitted 14 rows in total. 

Heel Turn: 

Row 1: knit 11, slip 2 stitches and knit 

then together through the back loop, turn work. 

Row 2: slip 1, purl 6, purl 2 together, turn work. 

Row 3: slip 1, knit 6, slip 2 stitches and knit then 

together through the back loop, turn work. 

Row 4: slip 1, purl 6, purl 2 together, turn work. 

Repeat row 3 and 4 two times. 

GUSSET 

Now you pick up on the left and the right side of the 

heel flap 8 stitches (16 stitches total). Put four stitches 

from needle one into needle four so you have them 

evenly spread out over the four needles. In the 

following step you will knit the picked up stitches 

through the backloop. 

ROUND 1: knit 4, knit 8 through the back loo, knit 16, 

knit 8 through the back loop, knit 4 

Now we have 16 instep stitches and 24 sole stitches. 

ROUND 2: Knit until 3 stitches are left on your needle, 

knit 2 together, knit 1, knit 16 instep stitches, knit 1, 

slip 2 and knit together through the backloop, 

knit the rest of the stitches 

ROUND 3: knit all stitches 

Repeat round 2 and 3 three times. 

Now we have again 32 stitches total. 

Knit stockinette until the foot measures 

about 7cm/2,75 (with the heel). 

TOE 

ROUND 1: 

Needle 1 

Knit until 3 stitches left, knit 2 together, knit 1 

Needle 2 

Knit 1, slip 2 and knit them together through 

the backloop, knit the rest of the stitches 

Needle 3 

Knit until 3 stitches left, knit 2 together, knit 1 

Needle 4 

Knit 1, slip 2 and knit them together through 

the backloop, knit the rest of the stitches 

ROUND 2: knit all stitches 

Repeat round 1 and 2 two times. 

Now we have 20 stitches total. 

Now repeat round 1 three times until you 

have 8 stitches left total. 

Cut the yarn and finish the sock. 

Your first #WelcomeBabySock is done. 

After June 1st our address is: 

Aktion Lebensrecht für Alle e. V. 

Kitzenmarkt 20-22 

86150 Augsburg 

GERMANY 

Please mark your shipment as a gift 

so we don’t have to pay customs. 

5

Confessions of a Knitting 

by Marigold White 

Wasp 

What is a WASP? “White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant.” A 

WASP is a person with white skin, of Anglo-Saxon descent 

(another way of saying white-skinned), and a 

member of a Protestant non-Catholic Christian church. 

This is an allowed and often used racist term. Since the 

first 3 letters are really saying the same thing, it could 

easily be shortened to WP, White Protestants, but then 

the term would lose its “sting.” 

I am proud of my heritage, and I am not ashamed to 

be a WASP. What is wrong with being a WASP? Nothing. 

But it has become synonymous with the upper-class 

elite who have controlled politics and influenced American 

culture for quite some time. Other seemingly acceptable 

racist terms are “trailer-trash,” “redneck,” and 

“hillbilly.” To those who associate the term with a particular 

class, I’m not truly a WASP, as I’m not wealthy, but I 

am certainly not “trailer-trash,” a “redneck,” or a “hillbilly” 

either. So, what am I? 

I am a woman. 

I am a mother. 

I am a worker who struggles every day to pay 

the bills and put food on the table. 

I am a friend. 

I am a good person. 

I am a knitter, a crocheter, a crafter, and a 

maker of many kinds of things. 

I am an American. 

Am I a conservative? Am I a liberal? I am an intelligent 

person who speaks for myself and no one else. I 

don’t think I have all the answers. I don’t want all the answers. 

I don’t think that any decision I make for myself or 

my family is going to be the right decision for anyone 

else. I don’t want to feel like I should be afraid to say 

what I think or believe. I know that I don’t have to get 

6 

along with or agree with everyone, but I do need to respect 

their thoughts, words, and beliefs and they need 

to respect mine. I don’t speak for others, I don’t need to, 

they have their own voices, and can speak for themselves 

when and as they choose. In my opinion, everyone 

needs to stop trying to fit in and be happy with who 

they are and where they are. 

As an American, I am a firm believer in the United 

States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and what they 

mean for everyone. 

I don’t believe that any one part is more or less important 

than any other. I believe that every right they 

guarantee is important. Even if I don’t personally care 

about a particular right, I can see the importance of having 

each of them, because the picture is much bigger 

than just me. The founding fathers of the United States 

of America knew what they were doing when they wrote 

the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Once a right is 

taken away you can not easily get it back, and usually, 

once one right is taken, others will soon follow. 

My hope is that someday soon, all this madness will 

end and people will stop being afraid of those who 

think, worship, live, work, or behave differently than they 

themselves do. I hope we can celebrate everyone’s successes 

together and support each other without fear. 

I personally don’t care what anyone thinks about me, 

I never have. I have been living outside the box since 

birth. Now let’s stop talking about ourselves and get 

back to talking about yarn, knitting, crocheting, and 

making! 


6 

that 

QUESTIONS 

Working in yarn retail requires you to have a cheerful 

demeanor and a will of steel to be able to nimbly enable, 

cajole, support, and guide the customers you 

serve. Most of all though, it requires patience. 

As an expert in your field, you are called upon to answer 

a variety of questions, and some days you can feel 

like that well-worn copy of your favorite ABBA record 

with the needle stuck on Mamma Mia! 

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions 

which are known to really twist a yarn retailer's 

stitches: 

#1 “I want to knit for a new baby but we don’t 

know what it is, so do you have baby white?” 

Every yarn store assistant has their pet peeve question 

and if I am honest – this is mine. I am going to let 

you all in on a trade secret: Babies don’t care. No baby 

by Maree Buske 

twist a yarn store assistant's stitches 

in the history of babies has complained because as an 

infant they were swathed in bright orange from birth. 

Optic white for babies is a tradition steeped in the 

purity of the newborn, but from a practical point of view, 

Optic White can be a fraught decision for garments. 

Babies are messy, they ‘leak’. This plus bleached wool 

yarn can lead to staining and yellowing that can not be 

reversed. Why risk hours and hours of work that could 

be ruined with one overburdened nappy? 

I accept that there are heirloom projects for ceremonial 

uses that lead to selecting white for a new baby, 

however outside of this, I would be steering clear. 

I choose colours such as Navy blue, red, and orange 

for my children as infants, which are far more forgiving 

and vastly more fun than Optic White. 

6 Questions - Continued on page 13 

Unity Kal Quarter 2: 

Theme: ‘New Things’ 

Branch out and try new things! 

Something new to you, new dyers, 

a type of project you’ve never done 

before or a new method/stitch 

pattern. We get confined to 

pro-Ravelry and anti-Ravelry. 

Although we might not support 

the politics of one side or the 

other, that doesn’t mean that the 

work of the designers, dyers, and 

crafters isn’t commendable. 

The point of the Unity KCAL is 

to put making things back into 

the center of our lives! 

7

©Cheryl Beckerich 2022 

MOUNTAIN 

TOP SHAWL 

by Cheryl Beckerich 

SIZE 

86 in/218.5 cm long 

18 in/45.5 cm wide 

GAUGE 

3.5 sts and 4.5 rows = 1 inch washed and blocked 

MATERIALS 

3 Skeins Tusken Knits Cabin DK, 80% Superwash Merino, 

10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon, 100 g, 240 yds, 

Color Wildwood Flower 

Size 7 US/4.5 mm 24-in/60 cm circular needle 

Stitch markers 

8 


ABBREVIATIONS 

BO Bind off 

CO Cast on 

K Knit 

Kwt Knit wrapping the yarn around 

the needle twice. On the following row, 

knit into one of the wraps 

and let the stitch elongate. 

Pm Place marker. 

PATTERN 

Using a stretchy CO, like the German Twisted/Old 

Norwegian CO, CO 63 sts. 

Setup Row 

K1, pm, [k12, pm] 5 times, k2. Knit one row. 

Begin Elongated Stitch pattern. 

Use the written instructions or the chart. 

Row 1: K1wt, [k2wt, k9, k1wt] 5 times, k2wt. 

Rows 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16: Knit. 

Row 3: K1, [k3wt, k7, k2wt] 5 times, k1wt, k1. 

Row 5: K1, [k1, k3wt, k5, k3wt] 5 times, k2. 

Row 7: K1, [k2, k3wt, k3, k3wt, k1] 5 times, k2. 

Row 9: K1, [k3, k3wt, k1, k3wt, k2] 5 times, k2. 

Row 11: K1, [k4, k5wt, k3] 5 times, k2. 

Row 13: K1, [k5, k3wt, k4] 5 times, k2. 

Row 15: Knit. 

Repeat the Elongated Stitch pattern 24 times 

for a total of 25 repeats. BO using a stretchy BO 

like the K2 k2tog BO. 

©Cheryl Beckerich 2022 

9

The Lazy Knitter’s Guide to 

by the Laziest Knitter 

Yarn Snobbery 

I’ll bet you’ve heard at least one of the following 

statements somewhere along your knitting journey: 

“I only knit with the best materials available.” 

“Life is too short to knit with cheap yarn.” 

“I wouldn’t even give an acrylic item to charity.” 

“I only shop with plastic. I would never knit with it.” 

Regardless of the wording, the message that comes 

across is: “If you can’t buy expensive yarns, don’t bother 

knitting.” 

Yarn snobbery isn’t new to those of us who have 

been knitting for more than a hot second. We’ve all had 

the experience of walking into a yarn shop and instantly 

feeling unwelcomed. The snobbery can be subtle as a 

disapproving glance or it can be very direct. We’ve seen 

the snarky comments when someone posts a picture of 

their hand knit acrylic sweater. “Acrylic doesn’t breathe.” 

“Have you considered superwash wool?” “I won’t knit 

with anything other than wool.” 

As you become entrenched in social media or your 

local knitting group, you realize that the type and cost of 

yarn is important to some people- more important than 

the actual artistry of knitting. It creates a barrier to entry 

in certain knitting circles of about $30 per hank. Isn’t it 

ironic that many who speak the loudest about inclusion 

are some of the worst yarn snobs? Perhaps it is because 

many snobs are selling their own line of hand dyed 

yarn? 

online commuknitty 

Knitting is thought of as a solo activity, but we 

often seek out others in person and online to share our 

fascination with all things yarn. You would think that 

with the vastness of the internet, there would be a 

broad spectrum of knitting online but the opposite has 

happened. It feels like a sea of sameness. Many 

Instagram knitters use the same patterns and the same 

yarns as all the other Instagram knitters. (And it’s not 

budget yarns that they are working with!) 

It gives the impression that high end yarns are a 

requirement for participating especially when anything 

posted in a budget yarn like acrylic is hit with a flurry of 

snotty comments. 

Forum posts from knitters who have left social 

media/ knitting groups/ local yarn shops over snobbery 

are not hard to find. It’s wonderful to see efforts (like this 

magazine) countering the ‘sameness’ in knitting. 

let’s talk green 

One of the biggest 

reasons given for 

snubbing lower cost 

yarns and the knitters 

that use them is for 

the sake of the 

environment. There is 

an argument to be 

made about certain 

materials and their ecological 

effects. However, as is 

with most issues, nothing is as 

straightforward as it may seem, and the issues 

are more complex than assumed. 

Studies have shown that microplastics are released 

from synthetic fibers in the wash and find their way into 

the oceans and water supplies. Recent studies are also 

now showing that microplastics are being found in 80% 

10 


Yarn Snobbery Continued... 

of human blood tested. “Sustainable” fibers made from 

recycled PET bottles are no different. And it turns out 

that cellulose-derived man-made fibers like bamboo, 

modal, and Tencel could have similar impacts on the 

environment as plastic fibers, such as acrylic. 

So, should we be worried about using acrylic yarns 

and shame those that use them? Well, the fabric that 

releases the most microplastics in the wash is acrylic 

fleece and we are not using that in our knitting. It’s not 

likely that acrylic yarn for hand knitting contributes in a 

significant way to the microplastics in the environment. 

It’s really difficult to gauge the actual environmental impact 

of the different yarns that we use. 

Those using hand-dyed wool sock yarns may not realize 

that 25% of the content of that yarn is usually nylon 

(plastic) and that superwash wool yarns are created by 

chemical processes that erodes the fiber scales with 

toxic acids and then coats them with resins (plastic.) 

Hand knitted items are usually carefully looked after 

and gently laundered. They are the opposite of “fast 

fashion” and are more likely to have a long life in someone’s 

family before finding their way into a landfill. A 

hand-knitted acrylic item is not the equivalent of an 

acrylic garment from the big box store. 

One of my most cherished handmade objects is a 

granny square afghan that was crocheted for me by my 

grandmother out of hideous 70s acrylic yarn. (Acrylic 

yarn has come a looooong way since then.) It has been 

through many house moves with me and remains out of 

the landfill. 

Unless every item in a person’s home is plastic-free 

and made from locally grown timber, they don’t have 

the moral high ground to demand what materials 

anyone else uses in their craft. There is nothing wrong 

with wanting to knit with single-breed hand dyed yarn 

or to be environmentally friendly. But for some, they 

simply cannot afford the price tag attached to local 

sheepy skeins or perhaps they are allergic to wool. 

for art’s sake 

Let’s be honest- expensive yarn cannot compensate 

for a lack of skill or artistry. We’ve all seen lovely hand 

dyed yarns transformed into garish clown wear by inept 

hands. In the right hands, any yarn can be transformed 

into something beautiful. Every yarn has its own hand 

and drape and application- even acrylic. 

practically speaking 

People select yarns for all sorts of reasons including 

practicality. It’s fair to assume that anything made for a 

baby will inevitably end up in a dryer and subsequently 

4 sizes smaller than it started if made from wool. Don’t 

forget that wool also dissolves in bleach (as it’s made 

from protein.) Unless you are gifting to another knitter, 

your recipient may not want the burden of handwashing 

or the guilt of ruining a handmade gift. 

Washable yarns are often appropriate for many 

projects. Who is going to complain when there are 

gifted a beautiful handmade item made of a squishy 

acrylic in a gorgeous color? Probably only another 

knitter who happens to be a snob. 

As a lazy knitter myself, I appreciate easy-care fibers. 

If it’s not superwash wool on my needles, it’s likely 

acrylic. 

Yarn Snobbery Continued on page 12 

11

Yarn Snobbery Continued... 

getting a grip 

Yarn is yarn and knitters are knitters. People who 

flaunt their expensive yarn labels are likely trying to 

make up for a lack of personality or talent. Or maybe 

they are just promoting their friend’s hand dyed yarn 

business. Regardless, do not let them make you feel 

bad. 

For those who can and want to knit with expensive 

yarns, do not feel bad for your ability to do so. There is 

something special in supporting small business and 

using hand dyed materials. Keep in mind that for others, 

it’s better to knit with yarn they can afford than not knit 

at all. 

People in the real world have different opinions and 

tastes about everything, why would we expect things to 

be different when it comes to yarn? But there is a difference 

between having a personal preference and being 

a snob and we all know when that line is crossed. 

Snobbery is not cute or cool. 

Now, let’s not even get started about the snobbery 

towards crocheters from knitters! 

It’s better to knit with 

yarn they can afford 

than not knit at all. 

12

?#2 “How many balls do I 

need to knit a sweater?” 

Ah, the “how long is this piece of string” question 

for yarn store assistants. This question has so many 

variables that it can only be asked in the broadest of 

terms and even then, you can get frustrated customers 

who take your advice as gospel and find they are left 

with too much yarn or too little. 

If you are happy just buying for stash enhancement 

and not too phased about the exact volumes needed, 

then we can give you some broad brushstroke estimates. 

But often fixed incomes and budgets come into 

play, so the expectation is that we can get this unicorn 

figure right for you. 

This is where a little research can go a long way. 

Take a little time to let your fingers do the walking and 

research patterns online or even visit the most underrated 

free pattern repository there is; your local library. 

This will help give you some inspiration and direction, 

as well as help to refine your question so you can get 

better results and fewer yarn surprises. 

#3 “Do you have a very soft yarn 

that doesn’t pill?” 

Here’s the rub (pun intended): What makes a natural 

fibre yarn super buttery soft is how fine the individual 

fibres making up that yarn are. So the finer the fibres, 

the softer the yarn. However, the finer the fibres, the 

easier it is for those little suckers to come unravelled 

from their little twisty home within the yarn or the fabric 

and gather together for their own party dropping more 

pills than a 90’s rave on a Friday night. 

The tradeoff is if you simply can’t live without those 

divine super soft yarns, investment in a good quality 

fabric shaver is advised. It’s nothing to give them a quick 

touch up every wear or two to keep the garment looking 

sharp. 

Can’t bear the thought of having to depill a garment 

every couple of outings? Then look for a yarn that is 

long-fibred, a mid-micron breed, and with plenty of twist 

to keep the fibre in place. Something with three folds 

(plies) or more and a higher angle of twist. 

#4 “Do you have this specific yarn in 

that specific colour?” 

Welcome to the “how long is a piece string” colour 

edition. As a yarn manufacturer, we keep a close eye on 

colour trends and what shades will be in fashion and 

higher demand from one season to the next. With hand 

knitting, the lag can be from 6 to 12 months behind 

what is seen in High Street stores. 

6 Questions - Continued From page 7 

Ultimately, colour choice is infinite but the average 

colour selection for a yarn range is about a dozen. 

Ranges are often chosen to reflect a particular colour 

story or mood and popular shades aren’t always able to 

be replicated. Sometimes, it simply isn’t possible to 

apply all colour ranges to every yarn variant. Ultimately, 

the narrower you are in your colour desires, the less 

likely we are to be able to match it. 

If you are wanting a project that is outside of the 

paintbox primary colours, you should always have 

two or three reserve shades in backup to help avoid 

disappointment. 

#5 “I like this yarn but it’s made abroad, 

can I buy it locally made?” 

It is wonderful to support locally made products. 

It helps those industries, farmers, and artisans thrive. 

Sometimes though, to keep yarns affordable and 

accessible, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers 

must look farther afield. This is perfectly OK too. 

Remember, if you are shopping in a LYS, you are 

supporting that local business. The yarn you are 

purchasing may be made with fibre sourced 

domestically and made elsewhere, or vice versa. 

Ultimately every purchase in that store helps, 

regardless of where the yarn is from. 

#6 “Help! My garment doesn’t fit, 

and I followed the pattern!” 

Have you ever heard the immortal line “Did you 

swatch first?” 

The main reason that gauge or tension details are 

included within a pattern is to enable you to ensure you 

create a garment that fits. Swatching is like taking a peek 

into the future of your garment and ensuring that you 

are going to be happy with the result. Taking half an 

hour to complete a swatch can save you not only lost 

time but a whole bunch of heartache later on. 

A swatch allows you to check that you are on 

track for sizing, both in width and length, whether 

adjustments need to be made with the pattern, and 

help give you valuable data in the event that you wish 

to make your own modifications and customise the fit 

even more. 

We are all guilty at one time or another of asking at 

least one of these questions. But if you ever want to 

make a yarn store assistant’s day, do a little research 

before your visit, remember that they are the experts in 

the field, and don’t be afraid to throw caution to the 

wind and step outside of your comfort zone from time 

to time. 

Most of all, have fun, knitting is a hobby after all! 

13

©AndreSueKnits 2022 

GADSDEN 

by AndreSueKnits 

Gadsden is a DK-weight striped sock pattern. Knit from the 

toe up while carrying up the yarns inside the sock as you 

change colors to minimize weaving in ends. 

SIZING 

Note: All sock sizes have the same circumference of 8” but 

have different foot lengths to accommodate for different 

foot sizes. Shown in size small on a women’s US size 5 foot. 

Small: 8.25” finished foot length 

Medium: 8.75” finished foot length 

Large: 9.25” finished foot length 

MATERIALS 

yarn: DK weight yarn in a main color and in a contrasting 

color. 

yardage: Approximately150 yds in main color and 60 yds 

in contrasting color. 

gauge: 6 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch. 

recommended needle: US size 3 or size needed to get 

gauge. Directions are given for 2 circular needles or one 

long magic loop needle. 

14

Gadsden Socks Continued... 

TOE 

ALL SIZES: 

Using Judy’s Magic Cast On, cast on 24 stitches (12 per 

needle) with main color. Note: If you are unfamiliar with 

this cast on, you can find many helpful video tutorials 

on YouTube. 

SET UP ROUND: Knit across both needles. Note: The 

cast-on loops on needle #2 are twisted. On the first 

round only, knit them through the back of the loops to 

untwist them. After this round, the stitches are worked 

normally. 

INCREASE ROUND: On the first needle (instep), k1, 

m1R, knit across needle until 1 st remains, m1L, k1. 

On second needle (sole), k1, m1R, knit across needle 

until 1 st remains, m1L, k1. 

EVEN ROUND: k all sts across both needles 

Repeat previous two rounds 5 more times. 48 sts 

(24 per needle.) 

FOOT 

Drop main yarn and leave attached to sock. 

You will carry the yarns up the inside of the 

sock while switching yarns. 

With contrast yarn, knit 2 rounds. Drop yarn. 

With main yarn, knit 2 rounds. Drop yarn. 

SIZE SMALL ONLY: 

Continue working sock with 2 rows in contrast yarn 

followed by 2 rows in main yarn until you have 13 

stripes. You will end the foot with a contrast stripe. 

Piece should measure about 4.25” from cast on edge. 

GUSSET 

ALL SIZES: 

Continue to switch yarns every 2 rows while knitting 

the gusset in order to maintain stripes. 

INCREASE ROUND: On first needle, knit all sts. On 

second needle, k1, m1R, knit across needle until 1 st 

remains, m1L, k1. 

EVEN ROUND: Knit all sts across both needles. 

Repeat these 2 rounds 11 more times. 72 sts 

(24 on first needle, and 48 on second needle.) 

HEEL CUP 

Note: The heel cup will be worked on the second 

needle only with main yarn. Do not cut contrast yarn. 

SET UP: Knit across the first needle (instep.) On second 

needle (sole), k 12, pm, k23, slip 1, bring yarn to right 

side to wrap st, pm on left needle, slip st back to left 

needle. Turn work. 

WRONG SIDE SET UP: Bring yarn to front of work, p to 

1 st before marker, slip 1, bring yarn to back of work to 

wrap st, slip st back to left needle. Turn work. 

RIGHT SIDE: Bring yarn to back of work, k until 2 sts 

before previously wrapped st, slip 1, bring yarn to front 

of work, slip st back to left needle. Turn work. 

WRONG SIDE: Bring yarn to front of work, p until 2 sts 

before previously wrapped st, slip 1, bring yarn to back 

of work, slip st back to left needle. Turn work. 

Repeat last two rows until only 4 sts remain between 

wrapped sts, ending having completed a right side row. 

Turn work. 

Gadsden Socks 

Continued on next page 

SIZE MEDIUM ONLY: 





SIZE LARGE ONLY: 






15

Gadsden Socks Continued... 

HEEL FLAP 

WRONG SIDE: Purl across, lifting wraps and purling 

them together with their sts as you come to them until 

1 st before marker. Slip 1, remove marker, slip sts back 

to left needle, lift wrap and purl together with its st and 

the next st. Turn work. 

RIGHT SIDE: Slip 1, k across, lifting wraps and knitting 

them together with their sts until 1 st before marker, slip 

1, remove marker, slip st back to left needle, lift wrap 

and knit together with its st and the next st. Turn work. 

WRONG SIDE: Slip 1, purl across until 1 st before gap, 

p2tog. Turn work 

RIGHT SIDE: Slip 1, [k1, slip 1] repeat until 1 st before 

gap, k2tog. Turn work. 

Repeat the last 2 rows until you have used up all of the 

gusset sts and 24 sts remain on the second needle. 

You will now resume knitting in the round across both 

needles. 

LEG 

Note: To close any gaps between the heel and instep, pick 

up a st in the gap where the instep sts meet the heel flap 

and knit together with the first st on the next needle. 

With main yarn, knit across all sts. Drop yarn. 

With contrast yarn, knit 2 rounds. 

With main yarn, knit 2 rounds. 

Continue working leg of sock by changing yarns every 2 

rounds until you have 25 stripes or until sock is 1.5” 

short of desired length. 

CUFF 

SET UP ROUND: With main yarn, knit across both 

needles. 

RIBBING: [k1, p1] across both needles. 

Repeat this round 11 more times or until cuff is desired 

length. 

Bind off with preferred stretchy bind off. 

ABBREVIATIONS 

k knit 

p 

slip 1 

st(s) 

K2tog 

P2tog 

M1R 

M1L 

purl 

slip one purlwise 

stitch(es) 

Knit 2 together; a decrease 

Purl 2 together; a decrease 

Make one right; an increase 

Make one left; an increase 



16

How I Became 

A(nna) Knitter 

What an ugly scarf has to do with my understanding of womanhood … 

by Anna Knitter 

I love to hear the stories of people about how they 

became a knitter. It seems like everyone has this special 

story to tell about their life and how knitting had an 

impact on who they are. That’s wonderful. Therefore, 

I wanted to share mine, too. 

I went to a small primary school that only had four 

classes. I loved going to school. It was an incredibly 

happy and protected place. While I wasn’t so good at 

crafting e.g. wooden boats and frames in the technical 

work classes, I very much enjoyed the art and textile 

classes. We crocheted, weaved, embroidered, 

cross-stitched, and made friendship bracelets. My 

biggest achievement back then was a crocheted drawstring 

bag with a leather bottom I made in 4th grade. 

In middle school we learned sewing and knitting. 

Can you imagine how lovely it was to sit together with 

your friends from 8 to 10 a.m. and knit together? I loved 

it! We got out our lunch boxes and had the best time. 

My teacher sat behind her desk and was knitting 

without looking at her project. She promised us that we 

will be able to do that, too, if only we practiced enough. 

Yes, she was right. Unfortunately, my teacher didn’t tell 

me that plain stockinette isn’t a good idea for a scarf. I 

used ridiculously cheap red and blue acrylic yarn and 

the cheapest needles you can imagine. But my mom 

was so smart to suggest circulars instead of straights. I 

had a much easier time than my classmates. Thank you, 

mom! I got a particularly good grade, but I wasn’t happy 

with how the scarf turned out. So I didn’t finish it. 

Every now and then I tried knitting again. I cast on 

with cotton yarn, I striped, I used thicker and thinner 

yarn – it always rolled in and I had no clue that plain 

stockinette was the problem. But I enjoyed the process 

so much that I didn‘t mind unravelling over and over 

again. I always did something creative in my spare time. 

I’ve been a homebody since I was a kid. I had this 

one best friend I would meet one on one. I really wasn’t 

crazy about birthday parties or meeting a whole lot of 

people. So, in my spare time I would put on my favourite 

audio plays or, as a teenager, the bible as an audiobook, 

and knit items I would never finish because I didn’t know 

what I was doing. 

My mom was very mindful that we engaged in 

creative activities. She hoped that at least one thing 

would stick with us and become a fulfilling hobby. 

That’s why she often gifted us creative kits for birthdays 

or Christmas. Hence I made candles, plaster figures, 

weaved, stitched table cloths, completed puzzles, made 

a carousel made from card stock, and I received latch 

hook kits. 

When I went to secondary school we didn’t have 

craft classes anymore. It was a different world, only 

learning things we would presumably need in college 

or for a future job. It seemed, creativity wasn’t important 

for that school anymore. 

To fulfil a cliché I started to knit again at college 

when I was about 21 years old. I saw sock yarn kits at our 

ALDI grocery store and I was tempted so much. For 

years I had only been using my brain and hadn‘t worked 

with my hands anymore. I missed being creative and 

there was this goal in my head: I finally wanted to finish 

a scarf. So I cast on a garter stitch scarf with inexpensive 

but ‘proper’ German sock yarn in grey and gifted it to 

my former boyfriend. The edges were nice, the rows 

neat, and nothing was curling in - ten years after my first 

A(nna) Knitter Continued on next page 

17

A(nna) Knitter Continued... 

during business trips. I really don’t like to be far away 

from home and apart from Tommy, my fiancé, so it is 

very soothing to have my favourite project with me 

which makes me feel a little at home – no matter where 

I am at any given moment. 

attempt I finally held a finished scarf in my hands. 

Awesome! From then on, I never stopped knitting. I 

discovered the knitting world on YouTube with all its 

tutorials. Because I couldn’t handle DPNs I knitted hats 

flat and sewed them together. I even knitted a skirt! No 

one could stop me. Again – like in my childhood – I put 

on audio plays like Sherlock Holmes and knitted and 

knitted and knitted. I sneaked in my knitting into my 

lectures when I was in the higher semesters. My 

professor for the Old Testament even encouraged me 

to do so. Knitting just made it so much easier to 

concentrate for 90 minutes straight. And it really helped 

me to compensate for all the cognitive work I had to do 

from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. for six days a week. 

Here comes an unpopular opinion: I love to be a 

traditional homemaking woman. I love the idea of being 

the one who makes a house a home. Knitting plays an 

important role here. When I see Tommy wearing his 

hand knit socks and pullover I couldn’t feel more 

successful. When he told me that my hand knit socks are 

his favourite ones, and he doesn’t want to wear store 

bought socks anymore, it made me happier than any 

compliment for my job could ever do. It fills my heart 

with joy seeing him in his Weasley pullover that I gifted 

him for Christmas. When we have guests around, they 

like to grab one of the several blankets I crocheted to 

feel comfortable. And then sometimes they give me the 

highest compliment I could ask for as a host: “Your 

home is so cosy!” Don’t get me wrong. I am pleased that 

I studied and have two academic degrees. I really appreciate 

when people acknowledge my studies or my 

work. But my career alone doesn’t make me who I am. 

As a woman I have so much more to give than that. And 

through knitting I can express it. With knitting for other 

people you can give love and care in a way your pay 

check will never do. 

My next goal was socks. So I cast on socks with 8 

inch DPNs and – for whatever reason – cotton yarn. You 

can imagine how often the stitches slipped off the heavy 

metal needles. I had no clue what I was doing. During 

semester break my mom showed me how to actually 

use DPNs and shortly after that I knitted my first pair of 

socks. They were intended to be a present. But, of 

course, I didn’t trust the pattern and made modifications, 

only for them to turn out too small, so I kept them 

for myself instead. Still, I treasure this first pair of 

mismatched socks despite their several mistakes. 

Today, I knit everywhere: at the beach under the 

hottest sun, in the subway, in the train, during get 

togethers, in front of the TV, whilst editing my YouTube 

videos. I especially like to have my knitting with me 

18

©AndreSueKnits 

©AndreSueKnits 

FLAME ON HAT 

By Liz Clothier 

MATERIALS 

1 Skein DK weight yarn (I used approx. 58g of Chelsea 

Luxe DK in Exposed Brick Cascade 220) 

GAUGE 

18 stitches per 4 inches working in pattern for medium 

18.5 stitches per 4 inches working in pattern for large 

RECOMMENDED NEEDLES 

Adult Medium 

3.5mm circular, or dpn or size to knit gauge 

5.0mm circular or dpn or size to knit gauge 

Adult Large 

3.75mm circular or dpn to knit gauge 

5.5mm circular or size to knit gauge 


DIRECTIONS 

With smaller needles cast on 88 stitches 

Join to work in the round placing marker to mark 

the start of the round. 

Work 2 x 2 twisted ribbing for 15 rounds 

Change to larger needles. 

There are 22 rounds in the pattern and the pattern 

is repeated twice. 

Round 1 and all odd number rounds 

are knit only rounds 

Row 2: K3 *SSK, K4, YO, K1* K1 

Row 4: K3 *SSK, K3, YO, K2 *K1 

Row 6: K3 *SSK, K2, YO, K3 *K1 

Row 8: K3 *SSK, K1, YO, K4 *K1 

Row 10: K3 *SSK, YO, K5 *K1 

Row 12: K1 *YO, K5, K2TOG *K3 

Row 14: K1 *K1, YO, K4, K2TOG *K3 




Row 22: K1 *K5, YO, K2TOG *K3 

Repeat Rows 1 through 22 again. 

CROWN DECREASES 

Row 1: Knit around. 

Row 2: *K2TOG, K2* around 

Row 3: Knit around 

Row 4: *K2TOG, K1* around 

Row 5: Knit around 

Row 6: *K2TOG* around 

FINISHING 

Cut yarn and weave end through stitches remaining 

stitches. Weave in ends, Block as needed. 

ABBREVIATIONS 

K 

Knit, 

P 

Purl 

YO yarn over 

SSK slip, slip, knit 

K2TOG knit 2 together 

Twisted Rib KTBL knit through the back loop, 

purl through the front loop 

19

NEEDS YOU! 

WE’RE LOOKING FOR: 

• Test Knitters/Crocheters 

• Podcasters/Vloggers 

• Designers 

• Writers 

• Artists 

If you are interested in 

being a contributor 

email: blockedmagazine@gmx.com 

© 2022 Conley Olson, @NantucketStudios 

20

It seems that just as we knitters and crocheters settle 

down to our craft; someone else comes along and 

causes us to drop a stitch, or worse, causes us to 

lose our excitement and enjoyment of the particular 

project we’ve been working on. So many times I’ve 

heard that the unpleasantness surrounding our 

corner of the world has stagnated creativity. 

In ’Dropped Stitch of the Month’ I’ll highlight the 

latest bad behaviour to cause our collective and 

figurative dropped stitches. 

As with a literal dropped stitch we can’t simply knit on. 

We have to ladder that sucker back up 

and regain composure, 

and then, and only then, knit on. 

This month’s ‘Dropped Stitch’ is: 

Zoé, of Boutique Crochet & Co. 

Montréal, Canada. 

©UKnitted Kingdom 

21

y Uknitted Kingdom 

Attachez votre tuque avec d’la broche! 

After the brutal and unwarranted bullying of 

Kristy Glass at the end of 2021, I think we had all 

hoped to see the end of ‘cancel culture’ in the knitting 

and crochet world. Alas this wasn’t to be. The 

following is recounted in reverse chronology, the 

same timeline in which I discovered it. 

In February 2022 I noticed an Instagram post 

from username @by.delz. Initially I wasn’t certain 

who this was, or what had occurred. 

THE POST READ: 

“This post is a little different from my usual 

content, and I’m using it to benchmark my own 

growth and development both as a designer and 

as a person. 

Recently I participated in gossiping online, and 

although the point was that it was everybody venting 

and sharing their opinions, I realized that it was 

a poor choice because it directly critiqued another 

designer’s work and design integrity. It transformed 

into a personal attack and quickly became problematic. 

I've already reached out privately to address it 

with the concerned individuals and to apologize, 

and going forward I’m committing myself to doing 

better, being better, and holding space for other designers’ 

professional growth and my own. 

I have already seen my doctor this week in order 

to get some help and resources to help me deal 

with my anxiety, possible depression and inner saboteur, 

and why I felt the need to act the way I did 

during challenging moments in my life. This is also 

not meant to be an excuse; I wanted to make you 

aware of what steps I took to try and remedy the situation. 

Certain corners of social media may continue to 

be the place for crafters to assemble and share their 

opinions, but I've taken steps to distance myself 

from it going forward and am holding myself to that 

commitment. 

I will be making a personal donation to the 

Foundation Jasmin Roy Sophie Desmarais, an 

organization that fights against the bullying. 

Finally, I would also like to apologize to anyone 

else that was impacted by this situation, primarily 

Max. I remain available for anyone who would like 

to discuss the situation with me.” 

Immediately, upon reading the Woke buzzwords 

and phrases “growth and development”, “problematic”, 

“doing better, being better”, and “holding 

space”, I knew this was a person desperate for the 

approval of the dog-soldiers of the ‘Safe-Space- 

Force’. 

My initial thought was, “No! Don’t apologize!”. 

If we only learn one thing from the Knitting Wars, it 

is NEVER apologize. That path only leads to despair 

and further attack. 

On cue, the hyenas baited and the vultures 

circled. Vincent Deslandes, the designer at the 

centre of this particular drama, had his apology 

dissected, critiqued, maligned, misconstrued, and 

misrepresented. He was accused of “centring the 

narrative” and belittling “neuro-diversity” (mental 

health for those of us with skins thick enough to 

withstand words). 

Vincent 

Deslandes 

Uknitted Kingdom 

Continued on 

next page 


22

Uknitted Kingdom Continued... 

Very soon, ‘knitfluencers’, retailers, dyers and 

designers were denouncing Vincent and either 

severing their collaborations or announcing that 

Vincent’s share of the proceeds would be donated to 

charity. They labelled him “problematic”, “a bully”, 

“mean”, and someone they could no longer tolerate. 

Of course, the ultra-woke La Bien Aimée dropped 

Vincent like a hot potato – despite years of friendship 

and collaborations. Shibui Knits called Vincent’s 

behavior “unfortunate”, yet declared a belief that 

“those involved” were “holding themselves 

accountable”. Despite this, Shibui announced they 

would continue their collaboration with Vincent and 

his fiancé Max Cyr (known together as ‘Les Garçons’) 

but Vincent’s commission would be given to the 

Foundation Jasmin Roy Sophie Desmarais. The 

Grocery Girls did the same with pins designed by Max. 

Despite him not being involved in the incident, the 

Grocery Girls claimed that all proceeds for Max’s pins 

would be donated to charity. All of those mentioned 

above claimed to have a zero-tolerance for bullying, 

yet not one of them commented on the bullying of 

Kristy Glass, and others, or saw the irony of their words. 

La Bien Aimée, Shibui Knits, and The Grocery Girls 

have a zero-tolerance policy for bullying? Don’t make 

me laugh! 

Max, Vincent’s fiancé, also denounced Vincent. 

More concerned with how Vincent’s behavior may have 

tainted his own reputation, Max reassured the knitting 

world that he was holding Vincent accountable, ensured 

he was getting the help (presumably psychiatric) 

Vincent needed, and was assisting with his “long road 

to recovery”. 

By now, I was intrigued to know what kind of gossip 

could cause one’s partner and friends to throw you 

under the bus. 

It turns out Vincent made a critique of a sock knitting 

pattern, particularly the heel shaping, of a French 

Canadian designer. He made the criticisms anonymously 

using the username ‘Kuttokk’ on a Reddit forum 

called ‘Craftsnark’. The forum name implies that it is the 

place to make ‘snarky’ comments about crafts. Vincent’s 

mistake, it seems, is that he wasn’t very careful 

about remaining anonymous. He had previously 

shared his designs and photos that were later identified 

as his. 

One has to wonder, if Vincent had remained anonymous, 

would the comments have caused such deep 

and widespread pain as has been claimed? 

Vincent’s full comments can be read below. In my 

opinion, you could say yes, Vincent was a little mean, 

and his comments weren’t particularly kind, but do his 

words warrant the witch hunt that followed? 



23

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24

As the old adage goes, “everyone’s a critic”. Anyone 

that has produced something for the public, be it a 

design, a song, a book, or even an opinion, will face 

negative criticism. If we’re all honest, we have all, at 

some point, been a little too mean, or a little too harsh 

in our criticisms. Should everyone that falls short of 

perfection be cancelled, ostracized, demonized, or 

boycotted? Well at least one person thinks so. 

The individual behind bringing the crimes of Vincent 

to the attention of the masses is a witchfinder general 

called Zoé. She, along with her wife Marie-Ève, run a 

yarn store in Montreal, Canada, called, ‘Boutique 

Crochet Co.’. 

Zoé and Marie-Éve recorded an Instagram video 

where, with butter-wouldn’t-melt sincerity, they made 

their case for the prosecution. With Zoe speaking in 

English and Marie in French they condemned Vincent. 

As with previous cancellations, Zoé and Marie added 

past infringements to the charges. Vincent had been 

rude to them whilst trying to impress the designer 

Stephen West. Vincent had been a bully on numerous 

occasions (no evidence provided), and so on. 

In a strange twist, our old friend Adella Colvin of Lola 

Bean Yarn Co. inserted herself into the story. In one of 

her husband’s Instagram videos, Adella, claiming “transparency”, 

wanted everyone to know of “the part she 

played” in the drama. Adella says she met Vincent and 

Max at Vogue 2020. Adella and Vincent became online 

friends and supported each other. In one of Adella’s live 

broadcasts, Vincent declared he wanted to 

name an olive-coloured yarn after Adella. 

Adella was flattered. After the live broadcast, 

an un-named Canadian shop-owner 

warned Adella that Vincent was a bully. 

As a result Adella began asking around to 

find out if anyone else had experienced 

bullying by Vincent, thus spreading the 

rumour that Vincent was a bully. Adella 

spoke with Vincent via telephone and 

allegedly “brought up some of the 

offenses” he had committed. 

Adella claims Vincent admitted that “some 

of those things you heard are absolutely 

true but some of them were not”. Adella says he wanted 

to “do the work” to be a better person. Adella told 

Vincent, “I’m gonna have my eyes on you. I’m gonna 

be watching you.” She refused to be associated with his 

colourway and said she would wait and see if he 

showed improvement. As one of the high priestesses of 

the knitting cult it seems Adella feels she is the person 

that dictates who is or isn’t ‘doing the work’, has or has 

not improved, and who is or is not worthy of being left 

alone. In the meantime Adella is offering anyone that 

bought one of Max Cyr’s ‘Ella the Elephant’ pins a full 

refund. 

Adella continued to centre the narrative about 

herself and inserted a big slice of racism into the mix 

for good measure. 

“I was reluctant to even say anything at first because 

when you look at all of the players involved right, if I say 

even the smallest thing, who do people normally target? 

Right! So I'm like oh God … I'm not gonna say 

anything… I'm a let them deal with the white on white 

crime… that's white on white crime… I want no parts of 

it I want nothing, you know, I know that, I know like, the 

specifics. Y’all need to sit down and get you a maple 

syrup flavoured beer and work it out. Right? …white on 

white criminals usually work it out with the Ritz and 

cheese and ham... I was thinking about it and I was like 

I know what it feels like when you feel like you're 

standing up and telling your truth [note, not THE truth] 

and nobody around you is saying anything.” 

Although Adella didn’t name the Canadian shop 

owner that first alerted her to Vincent’s “problematic” 

behaviour, I’m certain even Inspector Clouseau could 

work it out. 



25

At this point I was quite sympathetic to Vincent’s 

situation. The racist bully, Adella Colvin, was throwing 

a noose around his neck and his Canadian friends, 

The Grocery Girls, had plunged the first burning torch 

into the kindling beneath his feet. One way or 

another, Vincent was done for. 

I reached out to Vincent and sent him a message 

offering some advice and the support of Blocked. 

After all, he did say, “I remain available for anyone 

who would like to discuss the situation with me”. 

He wasn’t available. 

Almost as soon as I sent the message, I noticed 

a post Vincent had sent one year earlier, in February 

2021. It read: 

“Yesterday, I came across a video from a LYS [local 

yarn store] in which an off-camera cishet white man 

made a VERY homophobic joke that he claimed he 

invented. Both employees, clearly uncomfortable, still 

laughed and carried on… I believe he – the man who 

made the ‘joke’, owes me and the LGBTQIA2+ community 

an apology. It’s not about cancelling anyone; 

it’s about accountability. Please make it right.” 

I delved a little deeper and discovered that the 

aforementioned Zoé, of Boutique Crochet Co., had 

posted an Instagram video in February 2021, unironically 

overlaid with falling snowflakes, to make sure as 

many people as possible knew about this abhorrent 

and unacceptable incident. At this point it appears 

Vincent and Zoé were united in their anger. She said: 

“So it's important to talk about it, so yesterday Les 

Maison Tricotée posted a video on their Instagram 

that has now been deleted… Benoit who is the tech 

video editor… along with the other girls… were talking 

about, oh you know, whether to put their winter 

clothing away. Benoit said… I'm not going to repeat 

the joke, but he said, “Would you want to hear my 

homo joke? You know, why gay men are so well 

dressed while they've been in the closet for so long.” 

kind of thing. So joking about queer individuals and 

closeted experiences, not being able to come out, 

talking about making light of a situation that is very 

hard for so many of us is unacceptable.” 

So what was the joke that caused so much angst 

and couldn’t be repeated? 

This is how it went, word for word: 

“I have a bad joke I invented. Are you ready? 

It’s a bad joke, but I like it.” 

“Sure.” 

“You know why homosexuals are well dressed? 

Because they spent a lot of time in a closet.” 

[Tumbleweeds…] 

This is a bad joke. It’s one of those jokes that is so 

bad that it becomes good! It’s also an innocent joke, 

the kind of joke you would expect a child in the 

playground to say, or your dad when he’s trying to 

embarrass you. There is no hatred. No meanness. 

A self-respecting homophobe wouldn’t be caught 

dead repeating such an inoffensive joke. There was 

no reference to a “homo joke” as Zoé claimed and 

I would strongly argue that this is not a VERY 

homophobic joke, as Vincent declared. 

Were Zoé and Vincent both so fragile that they 

couldn’t allow Benoit to ‘get away’ with a joke that 

referenced homosexuals? 

Like Vincent, Zoé went on to complain that Benoit 

was a CIS-hetero-white man and therefore “was at the 

top of the privilege tree”. She repeatedly emphasised 

his privilege and accused him of committing many 

micro-aggressions. The only example Zoé gave was 

that he wouldn’t acknowledge his white privilege. 

One could be forgiven for interpreting the complaint 

as being discriminatory in itself. Zoé and Vincent 

clearly hold prejudiced views about CIS-hetero-whitemen. 

A combination of CIS-phobia, heterophobia, 

racism and misandry. 

Zoé made a point to mention that she had recently 

‘come out’ as non-binary and, since, has routinely 

“announced her pronouns” during videos. In an article 

for ‘The Times’ (Aug 11, 2020), columnist Joanna 

Williams describes the declaring of personal 

pronouns to be “pure narcissism”. I tend to agree. 

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/declaring-yourpronouns-is-pure-narcissism-7rffv2mrz 

I can’t help but wonder if Zoé, in her narcissism, 

felt that Benoit was directing his joke squarely at her, 

and because Benoit couldn’t see ‘The Emperor’s New 

Clothes’ he had to be eliminated to maintain the illusion. 



26

Likewise, Vincent felt that Benoit owed him a personal 

apology, as if the joke had been at Vincent’s expense. 

Céline, the owner of Les Maison Tricotée, issued 

an apology in French. Translated, the apology went as 

follows: 

“So here I am… I’m strongly irritated since this 

morning… I only realized this morning what happened 

and the totally inappropriate joke that Benoit 

made… I apologize, deeply, flatly, honestly, to the entire 

community for these words that absolutely don’t 

reflect my thoughts… There will be measures, obviously 

the video has been deleted, there will be discussions, 

serious adjustments. Once again I 

apologize deeply because you can’t laugh about 

such things… Benoit is a good person… and I am 

white, straight, and often we absolutely don’t realize 

the privileges that we have, neither what other communities 

may have endured… So I apologize again, 

really, and I promise that this will never happen 

again.” 

Three apologies were not enough. 

Vincent took to Instagram. He said: 

“Small update: the LYS owner apologized. Benoit, 

however, blocked me and other people who raised 

the issue and demanded an apology from him. We 

can do better than that, no?” 

When people began offering Céline support, Vincent 

was annoyed that not many comments were offering 

support for the “LGBTQIA2+ community”. He 

asked that Céline’s supporters “throw some of that 

empathy our way too, the people on the receiving 

end of the homophobic remarks”. 

Benoit, the person that made the joke, and the 

two women (one of whom is his wife) that heard the 

joke were fired. Just pause and think about this for a 

moment. During a pandemic and during lockdown, 

after four years of service, a man was fired for telling a 

joke and two women were fired for hearing that joke. 

It wasn’t enough. Vincent wrote: 

“The LYS owner fired the three people responsible 

for the homophobic remarks. This is unfortunate. 

However, she then posted a very problematic video 

full of gas lighting, equating my/our demand for an 

apology to a witch hunt, and the firing of the 

employees to people being burned at the stake.” 

I was unable to find the video mentioned here so 

cannot verify what Céline actually said. 

Vincent shared an email that he subsequently 

sent to Céline. This is shown in its entirety below. 



27

Vincent accused Céline of making the apology 

about herself. “You, like others, have made your 

apology about you. You said ‘I’m sorry, but…’.” 

Three apologies were not enough. Firing three 

employees was not enough. Now he was demanding 

that Céline match his donation to the Fondation 

Émergence 

Meanwhile Zoé was more satisfied and appeared 

to be gleeful at the news: 

“…this is what we know, so [Céline] ended up 

firing him which is something that is truly surprising 

to me because it's not something you see usually 

when a company gets called out taking actions so fast 

and so drastically I am in awe of her courage to do so 

because it's not easy we have to keep in mind this 

isn't easy but she did the right thing for her 

business.” 

However, Zoé still wanted Céline and the 

remaining staff to undergo training, ‘re-education’ 

if you prefer, to ensure Les Maison Tricotée is a 

‘safe-space’ for all. 

So my sympathy for Vincent has waned 

significantly. The victims of this particular witch 

hunt are Benoit, his wife and their colleague. 

How much of this was fueled by a gay, non-binary, 

white woman’s dislike of cishet white men and cisgay 

white men? I’ll leave that to you to ponder, shrug, and 

move on. 

To Zoé, the young, gay, non-binary, white woman 

at the centre of these events I have the following 

advice. Develop some resilience. Learn the difference 

between actual harm and imagined harm. Understand 

that your views are not going to be shared by 

everyone, nor should they. Micro-aggressions are 

‘microscopic’ and therefore too tiny to be worth 

considering. They have no relevance, meaning, or 

power. There’s an old saying that is relevant here, 

“Don’t sweat the small stuff”. Micro-aggressions are 

the small stuff, harmless jokes are the small stuff. You 

personally have caused so much pain and so much 

damage. The lives of at least four people have been 

irrevocably changed by your macro-aggression. If 

you have any conscience you need to “grow and 

develop”, “do better”, “do the work”, and stop your 

problematic behavior. 

To Vincent, I hope you have learned a valuable 

lesson. You didn’t deserve to be cancelled for 

criticizing a sock designer. You did deserve to be 

cancelled for your part in the firing of three innocent 

people. 

Here is what should have happened: 

· Benoit tells his joke. 

· Zoé doesn’t like it. Zoé shrugs and moves on. 

· Vincent doesn’t hear about the joke as Zoé 

doesn’t make a big issue of it. 

· Or, Vincent hears the joke, doesn’t like it, 

shrugs and moves on. 

· A year passes. 

· Zoé hears about Vincent’s comments about 

a designer’s heel construction. 

· Zoé doesn’t like it. Zoé shrugs and moves on. 

· No one is harmed. Three people still have their 

jobs and a fourth still has his design and yarn 

dyeing business. 

Was the pain, upset and harm that ensued 

commensurate with the so-called harm caused to 

the LGB+++ community and a sock designer? No. 

Zoé of Boutique 

Crochet & Co 


28


SIEVE HEAD HAT 

by UKnitted Kingdom 

ABOUT THE PATTERN 

A fingering-weight hat pattern by UKnitted Kingdom. 

This pattern is a reversable fingering-weight hat, knit 

flat in wedges to form the shape. It uses 3 yarn colors: 

a bright, a contrast, and a neutral. This is a great project 

for using up those fingering mini skeins or scraps 

laying around in your stash. 

SKILLS REQUIRED 

• Provisional cast on 

• German short rows 

• Basic intarsia 

• Basic lace stitches 

• Kitchener stitch 

SIZING 

Child: 20" circumference. 11 wedges. 

Teen: 21" circumference. 12 wedges. 

Adult female, small: 22" circumference. 12 wedges. 

Adult female, med/large: 22.5" to 23" circumference. 

13 wedges. 

Adult male, small: 23" circumference. 13 wedges. 

Adult male, large: 23.5” to 24" circumference. 14 

wedges. 

MATERIALS 

yarn: Waste fingering yarn for cast on. 

C1, 35g fingering weight in a bright/multicolour. 

Approx. 147m/161yds. 

C2, 35g fingering weight in a coordinating contrast 

colour. Approx. 147m/161yds. 

C3, 35g fingering weight in a neutral colour. 

Approx. 147m/161yds. 

gauge: 7 stitches and 9 rows per inch in stockinette 

stitch. 

recommended needle: 3 mm circular needle or size 

needed to get gauge. 

SETUP 

Using waste yarn, provisionally cast on 154 stitches. 

Note: At the colour change-over points always cross 

the old yarn (the yarn you've just finished using) OVER 

the new yarn. This will prevent holes. 

Right side set up row: With C1, k63. With C2, k28. 

With C3, k63. Turn work. 

Wrong side set up row: With C3, p1, PM, p62. 

With C2, k28. With C1, p63. Turn work. 

Sieve Head Hat 


29

WEDGE 1 

Row 1 (RS): With C1, k1, PM, k62. With C2, k28. 

With C3, k3, [YO, k2tog, k2] 14 times, YO, k2tog, 

k1, RM. Turn work. 

Row 2 (WS): With C3, GSR, p1, PM, purl until 

change of colour. With C2, k28. With C1 purl until 

marker, RM. Turn work. 

Row 3 (RS): With C1, GSR, k1, PM, knit until 

change of colour. With C2, k28. With C3, knit until 





30 

Row 5 (RS): With C1, GSR, k2, PM, knit until 

change of colour. With C2, k28. With C3, k1, [YO, 

k2tog, k2] 14 times, k2, RM. Turn work. 




Row 7 (RS): With C1, GSR, k3, PM, knit until change of 

colour. With C2, k28. With C3, knit until marker, RM. 

Turn work. 

Row 8 (WS): With C3, GSR, p5, PM, purl until change 

of colour. With C2, k28. With C1 purl until marker, RM. 

Turn work. 


colour. With C2, k28. With C3, k3, [YO, k2tog, k2] 12 

times, RM. Turn work. 



Turn work. 

Row 11 (RS): With C1, GSR, k8, PM, knit until change 

of colour. With C2, k28. With C3, knit until marker, RM. 

Turn work. 






Turn work. 

Row 14 (WS): With C3, GSR, purl until change of colour. 

With C2, k28. With C1 purl until marker, RM. Turn 

work. 

Optional: add a faux fur bobble to match the brim. 

Row 15 (RS): With C1, GSR, knit until change of colour. 

With C2, k28. With C3, knit until the end of the 

row and knitting the GSR ‘double-stitches’ as if they 

were standard stitches. Turn work. 

Row 16 (WS): With C3, p1, PM, p62. With C2, k28. 

With C1, purl until the end of the row and purling the 

GSR ‘double-stitches’ as if they were standard stitches. 

WEDGE 2 

Row 17 (RS): With C1, k1, PM, k44. With C2, k28. With 

C3, k1, [YO, k2tog, k2] 14 times, YO, k2tog, k2, RM. 

Turn work. 


of colour. With C2, k28. With C1, p44, RM. Turn work. 



Turn work. 


of colour. With C2, k28. With C1, p43, RM. Turn work. 


of colour. With C2, k28. With C3, k3, [YO, k2tog, k2] 

12 times, RM. Turn work. 


of colour. With C2, k28. With C1 p41, RM. Turn work. 



Turn work. 

Sieve Head Hat 

Continued on next page

This example used black for the neutral and for the faux rib brim. 



Turn work. 


colour. With C2, k28. With C3, k1, [YO, k2tog, k2] 12 

times, k2, RM. Turn work. 



Turn work. 


colour. With C2, k28. With C3, knit until marker, RM. 

Turn work. 



Turn work. 



Turn work. 

Row 30 (WS): With C3, GSR, purl until change of 

colour. With C2, k28. With C1 purl until marker, RM. 

Turn work. 

Row 31 (RS): With C1, GSR, knit until change of colour. 

With C2, k28. With C3, knit until the end of the row and 

knitting the GSR ‘double-stitches’ as if they were standard 

stitches. Turn work. 

Row 32 (WS): With C3, p1, PM, p62 . With C2, k28. With 

C1, purl until the end of the row and purling the GSR 

‘double-stitches’ as if they were standard stitches. 

Repeat Wedge 1 and wedge 2 until hat is 

the desired size. 

FINISHING 

With second circular needle, pick up the stitches from 

the provisional cast on and remove the waste yarn. 

Kitchener stitch the long edges together ensuring the 

knit sides are facing outwards and the purl sides are 

facing inwards. Close the circular holes at each end by 

running yarn through each stitch and cinching the 

holes closed. Yarn ends can be weaved in or simply 

threaded to the inside. This hat is reversible so push 

one end inwards to meet the other end and fold up the 

brim as required. To reverse, simply turn inside out. 

ABBREVIATIONS 

C1 Colour 1 

C2 Colour 2 

C3 Colour 3 

GSR German Short Row 

k Knit 

p Purl 

YO Yarn Over 

K2tog 

PM 

RM 

RS 

WS 

Knit 2 together 

Put marker 

Remove Marker 

Right side 

Wrong side# 

31

Growing Pains: 

by Erin W 

How Yarn is Born 

Whether you are talking about a new baby lamb, cria, or kid, that 

animal’s life as a fiber producer starts before birth. Some readers 

may think I'm crazy, but it is true. 

PILLAR 1: GENETICS 

The first pillar of good fiber production starts before 

the animal is born with the careful selection of 

both parents. This involves rigorous analysis of both 

parents’ health, conformation, or physical structure, 

genetics, and of course, fiber production. Merino 

sheep have it easier than alpacas since sheep 

breeders are more focused on producing marketable 

fiber and/or meat. They've done the research to determine 

which genes produce marketable traits, so 

they are able to analyze their flocks to make the best 

breeding decisions. As with all breeding, there is still 

a degree of variation, but the uncertainty is minimized. 

Australia is ahead of the United States in this 

regard with three different programs; LAMBPLAN for 

meat and dual-purpose sheep, KIDPLAN for goats, 

and MERINOSELECT for Merino sheep. (To learn 

more about these programs, you can visit 

https://www.sheepgenetics.org.au/) 

Alpacas are a lot more challenging since they are 

both genetically more unstable than sheep or goats, 

and the industry is focused more on breeding cute, 

cuddly animals for the pet show system than on true 

commodity-producing livestock. The dirty little secret 

of the alpaca industry is that the big farms are in it for 

the profit of selling animals while the fiber itself is, at 

best, challenging for commercial production. The 

most important thing to remember is that alpacas are 

not sheep. There are no stable gene pools that will 

produce fiber with characteristics within a certain set 

of parameters consistently from generation to generation. 

In fact, in most cases, the modern alpaca is not 

genetically alpaca at all. 

To find true alpacas, you would need to go to 

South America over 500 years ago, before the Spanish 

Conquest. The Inca, Chiribaya, and Aymara of 

Peru had very unique cultures and these peoples 

valued fiber very highly. Textiles were even used as 

currency and the most valuable textiles were made 

from vicuñas. The vicuña is the smallest member of 

the camelid family and produces the finest fiber in the 

world, but only between 300-500 grams, or a halfpound 

to one and a half pounds, of fiber per animal 

per shearing. Vicuña fiber was reserved for royalty 

and valued as the Fiber of the Gods. Given how these 

people treasured fiber, it was only natural that they 

would endeavor to make more. 

Over many generations of careful analysis and selective 

breeding, the Inca, Chiribaya, and Aymara succeeded 

in creating an animal that was larger than the 

vicuña and produced more fiber which, while not as 

soft as that of the vicuña, was still extremely soft. The 

creature they created was the original alpaca. Dr. 

Jane Wheeler analyzed multiple mummified ancient 

alpacas, and her research, published in the early 

2000s, showed that the original alpaca couldn't be 

more different from the modern alpaca. She found 2 

distinct subgroups among these alpaca mummies 

with a degree of fiber uniformity that is almost unheard 

of in the modern alpaca. 

The Spanish Conquest not only completely devastated 

the peoples of South America but also destroyed 

the carefully managed alpaca breeding 

programs they had worked so hard to create. With 

the breeding programs destroyed, alpacas and llamas 

began to interbreed in the wild. These species 

are rather unique in the Animal Kingdom as they can 

interbreed to produce fertile offspring. This and 

other factors led to the almost complete destruction 

of the true original alpaca, with its extremely uniform 

fine fiber. 

32

In the photos below, you can see the clear differences 

between Incan-type alpacas and more modern 

alpaca/llama mixes, which most people think of as alpacas. 

Photos 1 and 2 show Incan-type alpacas. The medium 

fawn in photo 1 came from an Incan-type dam while 

the one in photo 2 came from a more hybridized dam. 

Both share the same Incan-type sire. You can see how 

both share very uniform fiber coverage, noting especially 

how there is no "halo" of hairs over their bodies, necks, or 

especially their chests. Both of them carry uniform fiber 

well down their shoulders and hips. The alpaca in photo 

1 is 2-3 years old and the one in photo 2 is a yearling. Unlike 

the cria in the next photo, both of them showed no 

"halo" around their heads at birth, which is a sign of how 

uniform their fiber is. 

Contrast the previous two with the larger animal in 

photo 3. The fiber on top of the head is looser, denoting 

less density. A very obvious "halo" is visible throughout 

its body, and the chest is especially hairy. The head is also 

a bit more llama-like in appearance and the body appears 

larger in general. While there are some normal 

changes in fiber quality that happen with aging, true 

Incan-type females retain uniformity as they age. The 

photo of the baby in photo 3 is not the best, however, an 

experienced eye can still see the “halo” on top of the 

head, which denotes a general lack of uniformity from the 

start. The two animals in photo 3 are typical of most modern 

alpacas. 

Using the first pillar of fiber production, we were able 

to base our breeding program on recreating the found 

remainders of the original alpacas, with an average fiber 

diameter of 17.9 microns and almost perfect uniformity. 

We found animals that carried the genetic traits we 

wanted to perpetuate and carefully matched males to females 

in order to create offspring that continually improve 

upon their parents. 

PILLAR 2: NUTRITION 

The second pillar of good fiber production is nutrition. 

Most breeders have a very carefully managed nutrition 

program, and the most important part of any nutrition 

program is how breeding females are fed. Maximizing 

the genetic potential, and thus fiber production of each 

animal starts with making sure the mother is getting the 

best nutrition possible. She needs food that will provide 

the correct vitamins and minerals in the proper amounts 

and ratios and, of course, a species-appropriate balance 

of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. If a mother doesn't 

receive the proper nutrition, then her offspring will never 

reach their full genetic potential. 

We saw this quite clearly with one of the first alpacas 

on our farm. She had a baby with one sire, which grew up 

to be rather narrow in the chest and on the gangly side. 

He produced some nice fiber, but it wasn't as dense as it 

could have been. Around the same time, we also noticed 

that some of our black animals had hair loss issues. After 

extensive research, We learned that oftentimes animals 

with black fibers act as canaries in the coal mine regarding 

the nutrition of the herd. So, we analyzed the commercial 

alpaca feed we were using and found that it did 

not provide enough zinc or manganese. We had both our 

pasture and hay tested and that was also low in both zinc 

and manganese. So we added a little zinc and manganese 

powder to our alpaca’s feed and the hair loss on the 

black alpacas improved. 

The biggest surprise, however, came when that same 

female had a second baby the following year with the 

same sire. There is always some normal variation between 

offspring of the same parents, anyone with siblings 

knows how random genes can be. But this new baby 

could not have been more different from his brother than 

a completely unrelated cria. He had a more robust body, 

broader chest and muzzle, and his fiber was denser. It 

was just as soft as his brother's, but he produced more of 

it, making him a more valuable fiber-producing animal. 

He was also generally a healthier animal and has needed 

less intervention from us humans. 

HOW YARN IS BORN 

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE 

33

PILLAR 3: SHEARING 

How fiber is harvested and how often varies with the 

animal. Some sheep are shorn twice a year, while alpacas 

are shorn only once a year. The breeder has to be able to 

determine the order in which the animals will be shorn so 

they can properly prepare for collecting each animal's 

fleece. The normal practice is to start with the darkest animals 

and move to the lightest. Pigment affects how well 

fiber will take dye, so going in color order helps to prevent 

darker fibers from contaminating lighter fibers. 

With alpacas, the breeder sets up a foam mat on the 

ground for the comfort and safety of both humans and 

animals, with walls or posts on either end of this mat for 

ropes to attach to. Alpacas are strong, and they don't like 

being shorn, so having ropes anchored to something 

solid like a wall makes the whole process a lot safer for 

everyone involved. One person leads an alpaca in and 

holds them steady on the mat while another person carefully 

gets the animal into the right position to secure the 

ropes. Once the ropes are safely secured, one person 

supports the alpaca to gently ease it to the ground as 

another person pulls the ropes taught. With the alpaca 

safely on the ground, the shearer can begin the delicate 

task of shearing off the fiber. 

Shearing is also the first step in sorting the fiber, as different 

parts of the animal produce fiber with different 

properties. The main part of the back and sides from the 

base of the neck to the upper rump is called the “blanket” 

or “firsts.” This is the highest quality fiber from the 

animal and thus is the most valuable, and it is removed 

from the animal first. With alpacas, the fiber of the neck 

can be similar in softness and uniformity to the blanket 

but tends to be a bit shorter. The neck fiber is removed 

next and is considered “seconds”, along with any fiber 

from the blanket that didn’t quite qualify as firsts. It is still 

extremely nice fiber, but since it is shorter it needs to be 

processed with similar length fiber. The chest, belly, and 

leg fibers are notoriously coarser on almost all fiber-producing 

animals since this fiber helps protect the animal 

from the elements. The fiber taken from this section is 

taken last and referred to as “thirds”. This fiber is coarser 

and not as uniform, as well as having more vegetable 

matter contamination. Thirds fiber has value and is still 

quite usable, but the products it can be used for tend to 

be more utilitarian, rather than the finer, more fashionable 

items firsts or seconds can produce. 

Shearing fiber off onto cardboard or paper sheets 

makes things a lot easier since it preserves the blanket as 

it was on the animal. Before shearing starts, the cardboard 

or paper sheet that's going to be used to gather 

the blanket is placed to one side near the alpaca. Then, 

using long, consistent strokes, the shearer works carefully 

and evenly until the alpaca is resting on its stomach with 

a waterfall of fiber over its back and onto the paper 

sheet. Next, it's time to shear off the seconds, or neck 

fiber, followed by the leg, belly, chest, tail, and top knot 

fiber, or thirds. 

Each type of fiber has its own best use. Firsts and seconds 

are best suited for worsted-spun yarn (which we will 

cover shortly) since the fibers are longer and more uniform. 

The advantage of worsted-spun yarns is that they 

can be spun much finer than woolen yarns, so more yarn 

can be spun from the most valuable fiber. Thirds fiber, on 

the other hand, is coarser and not as uniform, but still has 

value and is quite usable. Products made from thirds tend 

to be more utilitarian, rather than the finer, more fashionable 

items firsts or seconds can produce, such as blankets, 

felting, or any application where both warmth and 

durability are needed. Since it is shorter, thirds fiber is 

better suited for either core-spun or woolen-spun yarn. 

In part two of this article we will discuss cleaning and 

processing of harvested fibers. 

How Yarn is Born 

PART TWO will be 

published next issue! 

Stay Tuned! 

If you have an interesting article idea or 

contribution you think may be of interest. 

You can submit your contribution to: 


34

CLICK BELOW FOR THE PATTERN! 

https://www.yumpu.com/xx/document/read/66834414/dpn-for-blocked-mag-tutorial 

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/66834403/dpn-for-blocked-mag-a4tutorial 

35

Knitting Patterns, Hand-Dyed Yarns, 

Tools, Notions & More! 

www.knittymcpurly.com 

Hand-dyed yarns, Opal yarns, patterns, tools, and notions. 

https://www.etsy.com/de/shop/AnnaKnitterYarns 

New Zealand yarn store. 

Ships worldwide. 

www.skeinz.com 

Knitting Patterns 

https://www.ravelry.com/designers/liz-clothier 

Anne Pinkava 


www.lovecrafts.com/en-us/user/maker/fdba7e1e-93b6-4b6f-9f82-06ef18d0ec8c 


https://galilee-life.com/vendor/deplorable-knitter/ 

36

Amigurumi/Crochet Patterns 

http://www.yankeerose.etsy.com/ 

Fabrics, Sewing Patterns, 

and Tutorials 

littleragamuffin.com 

Knitting Patterns and Tutorials 

https://www.ravelry.com/stores/birdie-beanie 

Wise Owl Knits 

Knitting Patterns and Tutorials 

www.wiseowlknits.com 

37

DISHIDENT #4 

by UKnitted Kingdom 

PATTERN DESCRIPTION 

Each issue of Blocked will contain a ‘secret’ pattern. 

The design will only be revealed as you knit. The instructions 

might uncover an image; a design, or a 

word/message. 

When using cotton these secret squares make excellent 

dishcloths. If you make 4 or 5 of each square in 

wool or acrylic they can be seamed together at the 

end of the year to make a small Afghan or lap blanket. 

GAUGE & MATERIALS 

Each dishident uses approximately 41 to 43g of worsted 

weight 100% cotton. Follow the yarn manufacturer’s 

recommended needle size. 

RECOMMENDED NEEDLES 

Adult Medium 

3.5mm circular, or dpn or size to knit gauge 

5.0mm circular or dpn or size to knit gauge 

Adult Large 

3.75mm circular or dpn to knit gauge 

5.5mm circular or size to knit gauge 


DIRECTIONS 

CO 45 

R1 [WS]: k45 

R2 [RS]: k45 

R3: k45 

R4: k45 

R5: k45 

R6: k45 

R7: k4, p37, k4 

R8: k45 

R9: k4, p6, k4, p3, k4, p20, k4 

R10: k45 

R11: k4, p5, k13, p19, k4 

R12: k45 

R13: k4, p5, k13, p19, k4 

R14: k45 

R15: k4, p2, k3, p1, k11, p1, k3, p16, k4 

R16: k45 

R17: k4, p1, k5, p3, k6, p3, k4, p15, k4 

R18: k45 

R19: k4, p2, k3, p2, k3, p3, k3, p2, k3, p16, k4 

R20: k45 

38

R21: k4, p6, k5, p1, k5, p20, k4 

R22: k45 

R23: k4, p7, k3, p3, k3, p21, k4 

R24: k10, p4, k3, p4, k24 

R25: k4, p37, k4 

R26: k9, p13, k23 

R27: k4, p37, k4 

R28: k9, p13, k23 

R29: k4, p37, k4 

R30: k6, p3, k1, p11, k1, p3, k20 

R31: k4, p37, k4 

R32: k5, p5, k3, p5, k3, p5, k19 

R33: k4, p37, k4 

R34: k6, p3, k2, p3, k3, p3, k2, p3, k20 

R35: k4, p37, k4 

R36: k10, p5, k1, p5, k24 

R37: k4, p37, k4 

R38: k11, p3, k3, p3, k25 

R39: k4, p6, k4, p3, k4, p20, k4 

R40: k45 

R41: k4, p5, k13, p19, k4 

R42: k45 

R43: k4, p5, k13, p19, k4 

R44: k45 

R45: k4, p2, k3, p1, k11, p1, k3, p16, k4 

R46: k45 

R47: k4, p1, k5, p3, k5, p3, k5, p15, k4 

R48: k45 

R49: k4, p2, k3, p2, k3, p3, k3, p2, k3, 

p16, k4 

R50: k45 

R51: k4, p6, k5, p1, k5, p20, k4 

R52: k45 

R53: k4, p7, k3, p3, k3, p21, k4 

R54: k45 

R55: k4, p37, k4 

R56: k45 

R57: k45 

R58: k45 

R59: k45 

R60: k45 

R61: k45 

R62: k45 

Bind off 

ABBREVIATIONS 

CO 

k 

p 

Cast on 

Knit 

Purl 

TIPS 

If preferred, slip the first OR the last stitch of every 

row to create a neater edge. When purling a stitch 

immediately after knitting a stitch; pull the excess 

yarn out of the purl stitch before knitting or purling 

on. This helps to reduce loose/baggy knit stitches. 

NOTES 

Occasionally a dishident or secret square might not 

be suitable for children and ‘polite company’. Where 

this is the case it will be made clear. This month the 

designs are all child friendly and polite. 

If you have an interesting article idea or 

contribution you think may be of interest. 

You can submit your contribution to: 


39

Bloggers 

& Vloggers 

1 

Adventures With Yarn - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbFHj9k5Uxc44g1pnlgiQjg 

2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

For all the latest drama in the fibre world – including what didn’t make it into the magazine! 

Anna Knitter - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkE2h6s400fRkasl6zyX_jg 

A podcast about knitting and crocheting with glimpses of a roman-catholic life. 

Blocked Magazine - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAY880IYHF8gJ8b-UdEWAxQ 

For all the latest drama in the fibre world – including what didn’t make it into the magazine! 

Deprogrammed - https://www.youtube.com/c/KeriSmithDeprogrammed/featured 

Interviews intended to better understand and make sense of her old belief system, Social Justice ideology. Including those in the crafting community. 

Herd knitunity - https://herdknitunity.locals.com/ 

Shepherd and ‘woolfluencer’, a sheep to sweater kinda gal. 

Knitty McPurly - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyIInmPUQGqoohNgUj0Zmow 

A virtual saint! 

Little Ragamuffin - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaogzXKmOJ9FO8fsjurrEcw/videos 

Sewing tutorials of both slow paced and quick speed styles, fun random sewing oddities, Ragamuffin news, and problematic interviews & conversations. 

Murder Knits - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbrSeXmJuT0_BglI_pzi1jg 

If your children watch, they'll become serial killers! 

Politically Incorrect Knitters - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm8CME6h72cFfQ7ZBNGCj5w 

Topical, informative, and fun! 

10 

Skeinz Diaries - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCswGNOSxnHlPZsQMCC2YHxQ 

Take off your ‘gummies’, put your feet up and prepare for a ‘tiki tour’ of yarny goodness! 

11 

High Fiber Diet - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzQ4cCawQzD6RDfwLhlZ0hQ/featured 

12 

Thick skinned with no “F’s Given!” 

Two Sisters & Some Yarn - https://www.youtube.com/c/TwoSistersAndSomeYarn 

Two sisters and some yarn – is exactly what it says on the tin! 

13 

Wise Owl Knits - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8N6NhDdKf44_HigLiP4Ug 

Knitting Tutorials 

40

Affiliate Testers! 

Need Testers? These are volunteers, should they 

decline please respect their decision. 

Instagram User 

Knit 

Crochet 

Tunisian Crochet 

Tatting 

Quilting 

Amigurumi 

Brioche 

Cables 

Double Knitting 

Intarsia 

Fair Isle 

Lace 

Mosaic 

Baby Clothes 

Baby/Lap Blankets 

Larger Blankets 

Socks 

Gloves/Mittens 

Hats 

Cowl/Shawl/Scarf 

Sweater/Cardigan 

Toys 

41

THE HEARTS AND STRIPES POMPOM HAT 

MATERIALS NEEDED 

- U.S. 13 / 9 mm, 16 in circular knitting needles or dpns 

- U.S. 15 / 10 mm, 16 in circular knitting needles or 

dpns 

- Stitch marker 

- Tapestry needle 

- Scissors 

- Pompom maker of desired size or faux fur pompom 

- Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick And Quick or similar #6 

Super Bulky yarn in the colors of your 

choice (50 – 100 yards / 45 – 90 meters in total) 

by Birdie Beanie 

GAUGE 

9 sts / 12 rounds = 4 x 4 in / 10 x 10 cm in ST st with 

U.S 15 / 10 mm needles 

SIZES 

0-3 months (3-6 months, 6-12 months, 

Toddler 1-2 yo, Toddler 2-4, Child 4-12 yo, 

Adult Small, Adult Large) 

to fit head circumference 

14 (15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24) in, or 

35 (38, 40, 46, 48, 51, 56, 61) cm 

DIRECTIONS 

Brim 

With the color of yarn chosen for the brim and U.S 13 / 

9 mm 16 in circular knitting needles 

CO 24 (26, 28, 30, 34, 36, 40, 44) sts. 

* Note that for the baby sizes you will need to use DPN 

or the magic loop method, the 16 in circular knitting 

needles will be too big. PM and join in the round (be 

extra careful not to twist your work). 

Work in K1, P1 rib for 4 (4, 5, 6, 6, 8, 10, 10) rows. 

Body 

Switch to U.S 15 / 10 mm needles. 

Row 1 : With color A knit in ST st (K all sts) 

until you reach the marker. 

Row 2 : With color B knit in ST st (K all sts) 

until you reach the marker. 

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until you have 14 (15, 15, 16, 18, 

18, 18, 20) rows from the brim, 

18 (19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30) rows from beginning 

of work. * Note : If you want wider stripes you can knit 1 

row in color A and 2 rows in color B, or 2 of each. You 

can choose to have one main color for the brim and 

hat, and a different color for the stripes, or you can use 

three different colors, one for the brim, and two for the 

stripes. You may also decide to knit a plain hat in which 

case you will knit all the rows with the same color 

yarn. The only limit is your imagination :-) 

Decrease 

Switch to dpns or use magic loop method and 

continue in stripe pattern. 

Row 1 : K2tog all around 

Row 2 : K all around 

Cut yarn leaving a long tail (about 8 inches) and with 

the tapestry needle run yarn through the remaining 

stitches on your needles. Remove the knitting needles 

and pull tight to close the hole. Go back and forth a 

couple of times with your yarn to secure. Weave in the 

ends. 

The Heart 

Now you're going to make the heart using a technique 

called duplicate knitting. You can check out my video 

tutorial to help you along if you're not familiar with it. 

Below are two charts to follow, one for a small heart 

and one for a big heart. 

Small Heart 

Large Heart 

Duplicate Stitch Tutorial can be found here! 

https://youtu.be/NqDEqhWQ890 

42

PIXIE’S WINTER COAT 

by Sophy0075 

I live in the southern US, so it doesn’t get especially cold 

here (average daytime winter temperature is 61F/16C; go 

ahead, high latitude residents, laugh!) Thanks to the occasional 

polar vortex however, our daytime weather can 

and does plummet, a few days here, a few days there, 

into the 40s F/7-9C (you may laugh again). The wind coming 

off the Atlantic Ocean can make even those Minnesota-balmy 

temperatures feel rather raw. 

Because of these cold snaps, I like to give our 5.5lb/2.5kg 

toy poodle, Pixie, some extra protection when I take her 

for walks. Looking at available winter dog-ear, however, I 

discovered a problem. Most were designed for larger 

dogs. Coats for smaller dogs contemplated Yorkies or 

Chihuahuas, who don’t have the deep chest of a toy 

poodle. Although certainly not as long as dachshunds, 

Toy Poodles have longer bodies than many of these 

pups. I was concerned that, despite my most careful efforts 

at measurement and (ugh) gauge-swatching, I would 

not place sweater armholes at the right locations for 

puppy comfort. 

So I have designed a coat for small dog that doesn’t deal 

with armhole placement - a wide neck and belly-band 

provide warmth. Slip-stitch stitches make a firmer fabric 

that offers more wind-blocking than stockinette or garter. 

The belly band keeps the top part of the coat secure. 

The belly band width can be made wider or narrower 

- something to consider if knitting for a boy or a girl 

fur baby. 

Another feature I added to this coat is an opening 

through which the leash can be threaded. 

Do you have a skein of wildly-variegated yarn? Use it 

along with a contrasting solid yarn to make the easy to 

work mosaic stitch pattern stand out. Being mosaic stitch, 

only one color is used every two rows. 

Download the Pattern Here! 

https://www.yumpu.com/s/kIBrvLwhyPd04EZG 

Charts: 

https://www.yumpu.com/s/SdUDTfMRK15Fm2QW 

© 2022, Sophy0075. All rights reserved. For non-commercial use ONLY. 

43

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If you have enjoyed this issue, please consider becoming a patron. 

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All of the above published pages were produced 

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Copyright ©2022BlockedMagazine. 

None of the above artwork or images may be sold 

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Blocked Magazine publications or it’s affiliates. 

All artwork and contents included 

in this publication are the property 

of Blocked magazine. 

No BS. Just Design. 

44

‘Vignettes’ 

I was recently sent a couple of sci-fi story ‘vignettes’ that feature knitting. 

The author gave his permission to publish them so I thought I’d ‘test the waters’ and see 

if fiction is something you would like to read more of in Blocked. 

Short Story #1 

“When our ancestors landed on this planet, 

they brought everything they would need. 

Food, building materials, animals, clothing, 

everything to start a new life. 

“But things didn't go well. The crops failed. 

The fuel ran out. Of all the animals that they 

brought, only the sheep survived. They 

were the only terranic animal that could survive 

on the rock lichen. 

“We raise the sheep for food and their 

coats, and from the coats we spin yarn.” The 

old man stopped speaking to examine the 

spindle work of the children around him. 

He tutted at a girl's poor drafting technique, 

and showed her a better way of teasing 

the fleece before continuing. 

“We spin the yarn.” He picked up the half 

completed shawl from his lap. “And knit the 

yarn to craft our clothing. The knit keeps us 

warm, but much more. It is an ancient art 

brought here from ancient Earth, it is our 

connection to the past, and our hope for 

the future.” 

Short Story #2 

The Captain started down the stairs ahead 

of the duchess' entourage. “We've now 

reached the keel of the ship. The temperature 

here, is kept low, around one degree, it 

maintains the jump-coils at optimum efficiency. 

Its these that allow the ship to 'jump' 

between the stars. I'll introduce you to...” 

The Captain paused, a half formed frown 

on his face, looking over the Chief Engineer's 

dress uniform from top to bottom. 

“Your Grace, this is Chief Engineer Bengo, 

he and his team maintain the drive system.” 

The Duchess exchanged a few words with 

Bengo before starting back up the stairs. 

The Captain held back until the Duchess 

wouldn't hear his angry whisper. 

“What the hell is that on your head Bengo?” 

With a gasp the engineer ripped the 

knitted bobble hat from his head. “Sorry sir. 

My mother...” 

If you enjoyed these vignettes you can find more of Felbrigg Napoleon Herriot’s work here: 

https://www.patreon.com/felbrigg 

If sci-fi isn’t your preferred genre, you could always try some historical romance, by fellow knitter, HR Levenson: 

http://self.gutenberg.org/eBooks/WPLBN0100303788-1814-A-Novel-of-Historical-Times-by-Levenson-H-R.aspx 

45

Acknowledgments 

BLOCKED has been made 

possible by the generosity and 

goodwill of far too many people to 

name individually. 

Thank you to all the designers, 

writers, photographers, artists, 

patrons, advertisers and, of 

course you the reader.

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